President Trump praised the federal response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico as he met with top Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency officials Tuesday in the Oval Office to address the looming threat of Hurricane Florence.

"I actually think it was one of the best jobs that's ever been done with respect to what this is all about," Mr. Trump said Tuesday in a briefing with DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and FEMA Administrator Brock Long. "Puerto Rico got hit not with one hurricane, but with two. And the problem with Puerto Rico is their electric grid and their electric-generating plant was dead before the storms ever hit. It was in very bad shape, it was in bankruptcy. Had no money, was largely closed."

"And when the storm hit they had no electricity, essentially before the storm and when the storm hit that took it out entirely," the president continued. "The job that FEMA and law enforcement and everybody did working along with the governor in Puerto Rico I think was tremendous. I think that Puerto Rico was an incredible, unsung success."

The Trump administration has been intensely criticized for its response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. But it's not the first time Mr. Trump has lauded his administration's response, despite those criticisms — the president called the federal response to the storm "fantastic" last month.

Analyzing the new report on the death toll in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria

Mr. Trump claimed the U.S. is prepared for Hurricane Florence, which he described as "tremendously big and tremendously wet." The hurricane, currently a category 4, is expected to slam the North and South Carolina and Virginia by Thursday. Mr. Trump has already approved emergency declarations from those three states.

"The safety of the American people is my absolute highest priority. We are sparing no expense," Mr. Trump said Tuesday.

Florence is expected to increase in size and strength, with life-threatening storm surges possible, according to the National Hurricane Center. Evacuation orders are in place for much of the coastline that's expected to take a hit.

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.